An Aluminum Shortage Is Still Wreaking Havoc on Ford F-150 Production: TDS
May 5, 2026
Good morning and welcome to The Downshift, or TDS for short.
The Downshift is your one-stop shop for all the automotive industry headlines fit to print every morning here at The Drive. The best part is, you can still sip coffee as you drink it and you won’t get any ink on your fingers. Let’s see what’s going on around the world, shall we?
🛻 An aluminum shortage that has depressed Ford F-150 production since late last year is still constraining stock of the pickup, with Ford now projecting to spend $2 billion on commodities for 2026—double its original estimation—due to the metal’s rising cost. [Wall Street Journal]
💶 Audi CFO Jürgen Rittersberger said on a recent earnings call that it is “still evaluating a potential impact” of a tariff increase on European auto exports by the Trump administration, “but it’s clear it would be a significant burden on our performance.” The luxury automaker is already seeking to cut 7,500 jobs by 2029. [Automotive News]
🍁 Geely, Chery, and BYD all appear to be gearing up for Canadian market launches, with Geely deploying two SUVs from its sub-brand Jaecoo in Toronto in recent weeks, possibly for testing or exhibition purposes. [Automotive News]
⬇️ Volvo sold 10% fewer cars in 2026 than in 2025 from February through April. [Reuters]
🛑 Brembo is now in full production of a brake-by-wire system for an automaker’s model line, though we don’t know which one yet because suppliers aren’t always at liberty to name their customers. [Automotive News]
🏌️ Volkswagen will field a Golf R with extreme aero, developed with Max Kruse Racing, at next year’s 24 Hours of Nürburgring to mark 25 years of the R brand, which first began in 2002 with the Mk 4 Golf R32. [Volkswagen]
🐂 Red Bull is now engaged in series production of its 50 Adrian Newey-designed RB17 hypercars. Each one costs nearly $6.8 million. [Autocar]
🔋 BMW just built its 2 millionth battery electric vehicle, an i5 M60, at its Dingolfing, Germany plant. [BMW]
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